Beet topper



March 18, 1958 c OPPEL 2,826,890

BEET TOPPER Filed Sept. 7, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

H. C. OPPEL BEET TOPPER March 18, 1958 3 Sheets-Shee/c 2 Filed Sept. 7, 1954 Q\ M5 km m Q r 1 I hm MN m QQ a v Q \n NN N$ .=o NH 7 Gm mm \0 my. MN.

IN V EN TOR.

lye/222 far/ March 18, 1958 c, QPPEL 2,826,890

BEE? 'I'OPPER Filed Sept. 7, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent-O BEET romnn .Heinz Carl Oppel,-Boise, Idaho Application September 7, 1954, Serial No. 454,291

Claims. ,(Cl. era-121.4,

My invention relates to improvements in beet toppers. In the harvesting of sugar beets the top foliage has to be removed and the crown portion 'ofthe beet has to be removed also. The foliage and crown portion are often removed by two devices, one of which is 'a beater that whips the foliage from 'the -crown of the beet zandlthe other device is a scalper which cuts the crown from the beet which has already -'had the foliage removed. In removing the crown from a beet it is essential to have a locating device in advance of the cutting tool that cuts the crown from the heat so as to make sure that the top of the beet is removed -at the desired level. @therwise', there would be too much waste on the beets that stand or indexing ro'lle'r in {connection with "a =kn'i'feto cut nifthe crown of the beet. However, devicesusing the' feeler and the knife have not proven-satisfactory to date :in the manner of eliminating the clogging of the knife with foliage, sticks and the like. Another difficulty in the "use of the roller and knife combination has'been the danger of breaking the knife and putting the machine out-of operation.

It is the principal purpose of my invention '-to provide in a beet topper which employs a locating -or indexing roller in combination with a knife, means whereby the roller and the knife cooperate to prevent any clogging of the knife by foliage, sticks and-the 'like,-and to prevent -breakage of the knife -in the event that it is engaged by a stone o-r-the like.

More particularly it is a purpose of my invention -'to provide in a beat topper the combination of an'indexing roller which travels fasterthangroundspeed and which is provided with a spiral rib-on its-periphery to wipe the foliage in a direction axially of the roller, together with a crown slicing knife which is 'pivotally mounted to :swing beneath the roller about an axisthat is :atthe side'of the roller from which the roller-wipes the foliage so thatthe action of the roller tends' to clcan-the knife.

It is also the'purpose of 'my inventio'nto provide in a beer topper having the characteristics just described, a spring means which yieldingly opposes movement of the knife rearwardly with respect to the roller.

Other objects .and advantages =-of theinvention will appear more fully from the following description and the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the invention. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and description are illustrative only-and.are not intended to limit the invention'except insofar asit is limited by the claims. I

' In the drawings:

Figure-1 is-a fragmentary plan view of a beetharvesting machine "embodying my improved beet topper;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fl'qu 2,826,890 Patented Mar. 18, 1958 Figure 4 is a bottom plan view loo ing LIP-at the index- 1 ing roller and the knife; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially .on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1, 2 and-3, my invention is shown as an attachment-to a beet harvester frame '10.: The beet topper comprises a drive-wheel 11 which has a shaft 12 mounted in bearings 13 and 14. The :bearings 13 and 14 are carried by brackets '15 and .16- that extend rearwardly from a cross beam 17. The cross beam 17 is supportedat-one end by the wheel 11 and-at the other end by the frame 10. My beet topper is drawn by the shaft 12 and the beam 17 and the shaftlz also supplies the power to rotate the indexing roller 18.

The roller 18 is :secured on a shaft 19 which is journalled in bearings 20. The bearings .20 are mounted on an inverted U-shaped frame 21. Twvobars 22 .and '23are pivotally secured to the frame 21 and extend s forwardly to the shaft 12 where they are. secured to hearing members 24 and 25 that are rotatably mounted on :the shaft .12. iCollars 26 properly position-the bearing members 24 and 25 lengthwise of the shaft .12. The bars 22 and 23 are connected by a cross brace '27 and form with the .brace ;27 .ea:rigid pivotally connecting the trailing frame 21 to the .main supporting frame composed of :the :parts.12'to l7tinclusive.

In addition .to .the connectionijust described, the inverted 'lJeshaped frame ".21 is-alsoconnected to the .beam :17. A mounting bracket .28.is provided onJthe top of the .frame 21 :and :asimilarmounting .bracket '29 is provided on rtheheam :17. A connecting link '30 extends between the brackets .28 .and 29 and is secured to the brackets "by bolts .31. It will .be noted that the bracket :29 has several apertures 32 therein so vas'to provide for considerable :adjustment of :the front :end of the link 30 inward to :varyihe positinnofz the frame 21 with respect to the vertical. Byimoving the bolt .31 at the front end of thelinkilfl :downward, the 1op.of the frame 21 will be moved forward with respect totthe lower end. The frame 21 in so moving, pivots about its connections at 33 and 34 to the bars 22 and 23.

The shaft 12 has asprocket wheel 35 thereon-and the shaft 19 has .a sprocket wheel .56 thereon. A chain 37 connects thesprocket .wheels 35 .and 36 so.as to drive the roller 18 in'response .to rotation of the .wheel 11. The sprocket wheels '35 and 36 are chosen of "such size that the roller .18 is turned at a greater speed than the speed of the wheel .11 along the ground so that the roller 18' 'wipesacross'the :beet'tops in a rearward direction as the :machine moves forwardly.

The .frame 21 in addition to mounting the roller 18, also mounts-a knife 38 which cuts the crowns from the beets. A-tubular bearing:member 39 is secured by ears 40 and bolts-1'41 to the side of the frame 21 that is nearest the chain 37. Ashaft :42 is journalled in 'the bearing tube 39 andcarries a knife mounting plate-43 at its lower end. The plate 43 extends forwardly and outwardly from the shaft 42 .and.has the knife 38 fastened to it by bolts 44. The normal position of the knife 38'with respect to-the :roller :18 .is :directly .beneath the 'roller with its cutting edge extending from the point substantially beneath the sprocket wheel 86 vacross and rearwardly beyond the bearing 20 at the other side of' the frame 21.

The shaft 42-.is iSUPPOI'Ifid against downward 'move- .-ment in'the tube-39byiacollari5 thatis secured to the ing movement of the knife 38. A spring 48 is secured to the lever arm 46 and extends forwardly to the link 30 to which it is also secured. The function of the spring 48 is to yieldingly maintain the knife 38 in its correct position beneath the roller 18 to slice across the beet tops and to return the knife 38 after the slicing operation, to

the same position. The tension on the spring 48 may need to be adjusted to fit the particular operation. I11 order to accomplish the adjustment the lever arm 46 is provided with a multiplicity of apertures 49 and the link 30 has a plurality of opertures 50 therein.

In normal operation the weight of the roller 18 and the frame 19 causes the roller to follow the beet top projections so that it rolls over each beet top and when one top is high and the next one lower, the roller provides the indexing or rise and fall necessary to position the knife 38 at the right height for each beet. When the machine is being transported, the frame 21 can be lifted to bring the roller 18 and the knife 38 above the ground. A chain 51 secured to a hasp 52 on the frame 21, hooks over a cross bar 53 on the frame 10 to hold the frame 21 elevated.

The roller 18 is provided with means to shift material that is going over the knife in a direction away from the pivoted leading end of the knife 38 and toward the free trailing end of the knife. This means, as shown, is a round rib 54 which is fixed on the periphery of the roller 18 and which follows a spiral path around the roller 18. It is obvious, of course that some other defleeting means might be used for this same purpose. It will be remembered that the roller 18 travels faster at its surface than the ground speed of the machine. Because of this higher speed of rotation, the ribs 54 serve to move the foliage and any trash that may tend to hang to the knife toward the free end of the knife for discharge.

Another very important factor in maintaining the knife clean is the combining of the roller with its ribs and a knife which yields rearwardly in cutting so as to perform a slicing operation and then snap back into position as,-- soon as the cutting of a beet top is completed. The

snap back action of the knife tends to throw any beet crown or other material caught on the knife outwardly free of the knife when the knife is stopped suddenly by engagement of the arm 46 with the stop 47. In effect the knife is being repeatedly shaken or tapped in such a Way as to prevent accumulation of trash thereon and the spiral rib 54 on the roller the loosened trash toward the free end of the knife.

It is believed that the nature and advantages of my invention will be clear from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

' l. A beet topping device comprising a main supporting frame, a drive wheel, a trailing frame pivotally mounted to said main frame, an indexing roller rotatably mounted in the trailing frame, driving means connecting the drive wheel to the indexing roller whereby to drive the rclier in the same direction as the drive wheel at a speed substantially greater than the speed of the drive wheel, a horizontally disposed knife positioned beneath the roller, means at one end of the knife mounting the knife to the trailing frame for limited swinging movement rearwardly of the roller, an upstanding rib fixed to the periphery of the indexing roller, said rib following a spiral path around the roller whereby to shift material clinging to the knife to the free end thereof, and spring means connecting the knife and the trailing frame to oppose the rearward movement of the knife.

2. A beet topping device comprising a main supporting frame, wheels supporting said frame, a trailing frame pivotally mounted to said supporting frame, an indexing roller rotatably mounted in the trailing frame, drive 18 is continuously operative to shift' means connected to said roller whereby to rotate the roller in the same direction as the supporting wheels at a surface speed substantially greater than the speed of the wheels, a horizontally disposed knife positioned beneath the roller, means on the trailing frame mounting the knife for swinging movement rearwardly in a horizontal direction and a spring connecting the knife and trailing frame opposing rearward swinging movement of the knife, and an upstanding rib fixed to the periphery of the indexing roller, said rib following a spiral path around the roller whereby to shift material clinging to the knife to the end thereof.

3. In a beet topping vehicle having a wheel supported main frame, an upright trailing frame, upper and lower links pivotally connecting the trailing frame to the main frame, an indexing roller journalled in said trailing frame and having a smooth rib on its periphery extending spirally around the roller operable to urge material engaging the roller axially of the roller by rotation of the roller, a knife supporting shaft pivoted on the trailing frame at one end of the roller, means to rotate the roller in a direction to cause the rib thereon to move the engaged material away from said end of the roller, a knife mounting plate extending forwardly from the shaft, a knife fixed to said plate and extending beneath the roller to the other end thereof, a lever armon the shaft, a spring connecting the lever arm to said upper link and urging the knife forward, and a resilient stop member on the trailing frame limiting the forward movement of the knife.

4. In a beet topping vehicle having a main frame and a trailing frame pivoted to the main frame, an indexing roller journalled in the trailing frame and adapted to ride over beets to be topped, a knife supporting shaft pivoted on the trailing frame at one end of the roller, and rearwardly of the roller axis, a knife mounting plate fixed to the shaft and extending forwardly, a knife secured to the plate and extending beneath the roller whereby tuming of the shaft swings the knife in a slicing movement axially of the roller in part and in part in the direction of movement of the vehicle, spring means connected to the shaft and the trailingfr'ame urging the knife forwardly in the direction of movement of the vehicle, and stop means limiting the movement of the shaft by the spring.

5. In a beet topping device, a main supporting frame having supporting wheels, an indexing roller, means rotatably mounting said indexing roller for vertical movement with respect to the main frame, drive means for the indexing roller operable to rotate the roller at a speed greater than the rate of speed of the main frame with respect to the ground, a horizontally disposed knife positioned beneath the roller, means at one end of the knife mounting the knife to the roller supporting means for limited swinging movement in a horizontal plane, an upstanding rib fixed to the periphery of the indexing roller and following a spiral path around the roller whereby to shift material clinging to the knife to the free end thereof, and spring means connected to the knife and opposing the rearward swinging movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

